


Mirrored Perceptions

by Chaosmoon75 (Chaosmoon)



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-10-31 03:19:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17841440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaosmoon/pseuds/Chaosmoon75
Summary: What would happen if two people that feel as if they were born into the wrong universe suddenly find out that they are both part of something much bigger? Their beliefs are tested as they are given the chance to see if they are correct. The age-old question of whether the grass is really greener on the other side will be put to the test.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the last of the new stories that has been plaguing my mind. I will probably end up focusing on whichever one has taken up most of my brain space at any given moment, but expect regular-ish updates on all of them. I hope you enjoy!

##  **Chapter 1**

The Soldier floor was quieter than usual.  The only thing that interrupted the silence was the occasional sound of a hammer, a saw, or some other implement that the workers were using to repair the damages to the hallway.  The Soldiers that were seen running errands were oddly silent and some could be seen sending furtive glances to one of the doors as they passed by it.  When that door opened and Genesis emerged, it seemed as if every Soldier on the floor suddenly disappeared.

If Genesis noted that fact, it didn’t seem to faze him.  The scowl never left his face as he headed toward the elevator.  He had finally been called up to Lazard’s office for the incident that had happened that morning and that fact had done nothing to improve his mood.

When he drew even with the repairs being done from his fit that morning, several things happened in a chain reaction that none of them would be able to accurately describe afterward.  It started when one of the workers accidentally looked up just in time to catch the Commander’s gaze.  At the sight of Genesis’ scowl, the man nearly wet himself.  He managed to control that reaction, but he lost his grip on his hammer and it fell, almost hitting Genesis on the foot.

That would not have hurt him if it had connected, but in his current mood, the fact that the worker had been so careless had a fireball instantly in his hand.  By that point, several of the workers had stopped what they were doing and were staring at the fuming man and the fire with apprehensive looks.  None of them noticed the fact that Charle, the secretary for all three of the Firsts, was headed toward them from the opposite end of the hallway.  She was looking down at a folder in her hands and didn’t see the volatile situation in front of her.

It wasn’t even a few seconds after the fire appeared that Genesis took a menacing step forward and caused several of the men to scurry backwards.  One of them bumped against the scaffolding they were using to repair the ceiling and caused it to start to topple with the man that had been on top of it.  Everyone’s gazes were drawn by a feminine scream right before the scaffolding crashed down.

Even Genesis felt slightly remorseful when he noticed that it had fallen on top of Charle.  He didn’t know her well, as she was still new, but she was a woman, and he knew it was his actions that had caused her predicament.  He completely ignored the man that was trying to get up after the fall and immediately started moving the broken boards aside.  When he uncovered the woman, he grimaced at the sight of the blood streaking across her face from a cut near her hairline.  It looked as if one of the boards had caught her there.  She was unconscious.

He was still wearing a glare as he finished clearing the debris off her and picked her up.  His scowl was now mostly because he felt a little remorse for causing the accident in the first place, but none of the men knew that and had no desire to confront him as he started carrying the woman away.  He would never admit that he had been in the wrong anyway.  The clicking of his boots on the floor as he walked away was the only sound in the hallway until after he was gone.

* * *

 

Cheryl had missed her bus that morning and was consequently running down the sidewalk to make it to her job on time.  Anyone that saw her was amazed at how deftly she somehow managed to wind through the crowd of people on the sidewalk.  Any that she passed gave her a dirty look before they continued on their way.  It was obviously not the first time she had to do something similar.

It wasn’t that she made a habit of being late, but she was still new to the city and had yet to become accustomed to not having her own car to get her where she needed to be.  She had given it up when she moved since she had better options in the city.

She was muttering under her breath while she ran, or would have been if she had breath to speak with.  Still her mouth was moving as she mentally sent out curses to the bus she had barely missed.  She was so concentrated on the people she was trying to weave through that she never noticed the fact that a pot had fallen from a window nearby.  None of the people near her noticed either until the sound of it crashing into the canopy above them caught their attention.  Cheryl happened to be right in the middle of it when it came crashing down.  Most of the people under it had been able to jump out of the way, but there were several that hadn’t been as lucky.  Cheryl was one of those.  The last thing to race through her thoughts before she was knocked unconscious was a lament that she would be really, really late.

* * *

 

Charle woke with a groan and tried to sit up.  The action made her head spin and she felt slightly nauseous.  She quit thinking about it when a strange girl suddenly wrapped her in a hug.  “Oh, thank god you’re awake!  I was so worried.  There were five people caught by that falling canopy, but you were in the worst spot.  You are the only one they ended up hospitalizing.  I’m so glad you woke up though.”

Charle was trying to remember how she managed to wind up in the hospital and what was going on.  She vaguely recalled bringing the morning reports up to General Sephiroth when she ran into something.  She suddenly remembered the scaffolding falling on her and pushed back from the girl.  She looked around with a frown.  The room she was in was nondescript, so it could have been an infirmary room, but that didn’t explain the strange girl, or what she had been going on about.  Charle gently took the girl’s hands off her shoulders before she spoke up.  “I apologize, but it seems you may have mistaken me for someone else.  I don’t know you.  I did have an accident where something fell on me, but I don’t believe any others were caught in it, unless one of the workers was hit as well.”

The girl gave her a horrified look.  “Cheryl, you’re scaring me.  What do you mean you don’t know me?”

Charle gave the girl a confused look.  I really do think you have the wrong person.  My name is Charle.  I have never seen you before.”

Charle was surprised by the tears that suddenly sprang up in the girl’s eyes, but she didn’t get a chance to ask about it before the girl ran to the door and started yelling for help.  It was only a few moments before a breathless nurse came running into the room.  “What happened?”   She stopped in shock at the sight of Charle sitting up before she turned a glare to the girl that had been calling for help.  “You didn’t have to panic the floor just because she woke up.”

The girl had started crying in earnest by that point.  Her words were broken by sobbing.  “She might be awake, but she isn’t alright.  She doesn’t even know me!”

At the girl’s words, the nurse turned a concerned look to Charle.  She pulled a pen out of her pocket and her voice was soft when she spoke.  “I need to check a few things really quick and ask you some questions.  Do you feel up to it?”

Charle frowned at her.  “My head hurts slightly where the scaffolding fell on me, but otherwise I feel fine.  What is going on here?”

The nurse’s frown grew.  “You were hit by a canopy, not scaffolding, but I can see where you might have thought that.  You were brought in with several others that had been hit as well.  Everyone was lucky that bruises and a couple of broken bones were the worst of it.  Most of the rest have already gone home.  We can discharge you as well once we make sure there are no complications.”

Charle was still giving her a worried look, but she nodded.  She was growing more confused by the minute, but she knew she wouldn’t get answers by panicking.  At her nod the nurse pulled up the pen and clicked a button.  Charle was surprised to see it was a small light.  She winced when the woman shined it in her eyes but did as she was told and followed it when she was asked to.  The nurse then moved through several other tests, such as having her squeeze her fingers and push against her when she added pressure.

Once that was done the nurse stepped back and wrote several things down on a tablet before she turned back to Charle.  “Well, all your physical tests are fine.  You don’t show any signs of complications.  Can you tell me your name?”

Charle was still frowning when she answered.  “Charle Valliere.”  She wanted to add more, but she didn’t know where to start.  Her worry and confusion grew when the nurse frowned and looked over to the girl that was still standing near the door.

When the nurse looked back, Charle could tell the woman was worried.  “I’ll have the doctor come and talk to you both.  Stay here for now and we will get this figured out.”

When the woman left, Charle turned a curious gaze to the girl that was staring at her.  “Who exactly do you think I am?”

At her question the girl started crying again, but she still managed to answer.  “You are my sister, Cheryl Villagran.”  She stepped forward and held out something that she had pulled out of her pocket.

Charle took it with a little trepidation, but her mind went into overdrive and off the deep end when she saw what she had been handed.  She was looking at some sort of ID with her picture on it with the name the girl had just given her.  She looked up with shock before she looked back down and closer to the picture.  She noticed there were small differences that weren’t noticeable at first glance, like the fact that the woman in the picture had piercings in her ears, but for the most part they could have been identical.  She understood now why they thought she was someone else.  She handed the card back and gave the girl a look that she hoped was comforting.  “I can see why you thought I was the same person, but that isn’t me.  If you look closely you can see that I have never pierced my ears and my hair is a slightly different color.  I’m sorry about the mix-up, but now that it’s cleared, I’m sure you can find your sister.”

The girl was not relieved by her reassurances.  Instead she started crying again.  Charle was shocked when the girl threw her arms around her and squeezed.  She tried to push back, but she couldn’t dislodge her.  She was saved when the nurse walked back into the room with a tall male in tow.  It was the male that spoke.  “Hello, I’m Dr. Henderson.  Miss Villagran, would you please let go for now.  If your sister has lost her memories your invasion of her personal space will only traumatize her.”

The girl pulled back with a sob but moved to the other side of the room at the doctor’s request.  When he turned back to her, she spoke before he could.  “I believe there has been some sort of misunderstanding.  She showed me the ID of the woman you think I am, but as I was telling her, if you look closely you see there are differences.  I am not the woman you claim I am.”

The doctor’s look turned grim.  She could tell that he was trying to be as gentle as possible when he spoke.   “Ms. Villagran, I know this may be hard for you to come to grips with, but there has been no mistake.  There are many ways for us to identify a person, and the ID you carried was only one of them.  Your medical records are irrefutable though.  I understand this will be hard for you to accept since you cannot seem to remember, but please stay calm.  We are here to do everything we can to help you get back to normal.”

Charle had managed to keep her panic at bay up to that point.  She had worked hard to convince herself that this was all some sort of strange coincidence that left her somewhere she didn’t know surrounded by strangers.  With the doctor’s words beating into her brain, her panic finally broke free and she couldn’t stop her shaking.  Her voice was barely audible above the sobs she was trying not to let out.  “That’s impossible.  I know who I am and that is not me.  I am Charle Valliere.”

* * *

 

Cheryl woke and blinked her eyes several times.  The room she was in was darkened and she was slightly disoriented.  The few things that she could see reminded her of a hospital room.  With that realization she remembered the fact that she had been caught in a freak accident with a canopy.  She sat up and tried to get out of bed but had to sit back quickly.  Her head started spinning as soon as she was upright.  She noticed it was also pounding near the front.  She reached up and quickly pulled her hand away when her fingers touched a bandage on her forehead. 

She briefly wondered how long she had been unconscious.  It couldn’t have been too long, since she knew her sister would have been there within a half hour of finding out.  There was no way she wouldn’t be on site already if it had been longer than an hour.  While those thoughts were going through her head she had managed to finally stand while supporting herself with the bed rail.  She stood still long enough for her head to cooperate before she headed to the door.

When she opened it, she was shocked to find several large men in strange burgundy or blue uniforms.  She couldn’t recall ever seeing anything like them, but they could be hospital security.  She tried to convince herself of that at least.  Even though the logical side of her brain was screaming that no hospital would ever need that much security.  Not to mention they were all busy doing various tasks, instead of standing on guard.  There was even one that looked to be having an exam.

She was pulled from her thoughts when a woman in a white smock noticed her and came over with a smile.  “I’m glad to see you up.  That was a nasty bump to the head.  How are you feeling?”

Cheryl had to clear her throat before she could speak.  “A little dizzy and I have a killer headache, but otherwise I’m fine.  Were any of the others severely injured?”

The woman patted her on the arm before she turned her and helped her back into the room.  “The worker that was on the scaffolding had a twisted ankle and some bruises, but otherwise he was fine.  No one else was caught in it luckily.”

Cheryl allowed herself to be led back to the bed, but once she was seated, she gave the woman a confused look.  “I was certain that there were at least six other people that didn’t make it out from under that canopy when it fell, but I guess if it was just one then they got lucky.”  She paused to swallow her slight nausea.  The spinning of her head was doing a number on her stomach. When she got it under control another thought struck her.  “Oh man, my boss is going to be so pissed.  Do you know where my phone is?  If my sister isn’t here, then I need to call in and let them know I won’t be in until later.”

The woman gave her a curious look.  “It was Commander Rhapsodos that brought you in, so you don’t need to worry about letting them know.  I am sure that Commander Hewley and the General will understand that this was nothing you did wrong.”

Cheryl froze at those words.  She knew those names, but they made absolutely no sense in the current situation.  She tried to keep calm as she looked the woman straight in the eyes.  “Did you say Commander Rhapsodos brought me in?”

The woman gave her a sympathetic look and lowered her voice before she spoke.  “I know he can be pretty intimidating, and he was angry when he brought you in, but I think part of it was him feeling guilty.  I know he would never admit it, but don’t let it get to you.  If you can stick it out, I’m sure it will get better.”

Cheryl’s eyes only got wider as the woman continued to speak.  She had hoped it was a joke, but the woman’s sympathy was sincere.  She had no idea what twilight zone she suddenly found herself in, but she did know she needed to get out.  She just wished she could get her head to stop spinning so she could make a run for it.  She doubted she would get far if she couldn’t stay on her feet.

Her growing panic was brought to a screeching halt when a man walked into the room.  He was incredibly tall, but more than that, she recognized him, or at least who he was supposed to be.  She was speaking before she even realized the thought had formed.  “Genesis Rhapsodos.  Holy Mary mother of god.  This can’t be real.”

The man gave her a charming smile as he walked to the bedside.  “Miss Valliere, I am glad to see you awake.  I must apologize for getting you caught up in that whole mess this morning.  It was unfortunate, but I am sure Rayleigh will be more than capable of getting you back on your feet and back to work in no time.”

Cheryl was still trying to process his whole speech when part of it snagged her attention finally.  “Did you call me Miss Valliere?”

His brow drew down into a partial scowl, but he was still polite when he answered.  “Of course.  You may not have been with us for long, but I have no problems remembering names.”

She tried to shake her head to negate his words, but that caused her head to start spinning worse.  She still managed to speak.  “No, my name is Cheryl Villagran.”

At that point, the other two people in the room shared a confused look.  It was the woman that spoke.  “I would like to ask you a few questions please.  I want to verify everything is actually okay.”

Cheryl was beyond confused but she gave the woman a nod.  “Can you tell me when you started as a secretary here?”

“I don’t work at a hospital.  I have been a secretary at Prompton Software for nearly a month.”

Cheryl felt her panic start to rise again as they gave each other looks.  The woman’s gaze was worried when she spoke.  “I know this is going to be hard for you to understand, but it seems as though the hit you took has scrambled your memories.  Your real name is Charle Valliere and you came to work for Shinra a few weeks ago.”

Cheryl started breathing fast and the woman instantly moved to support her.  “It’ll be alright.  Take some deep breaths and calm down.  I will be here to help as much as possible.  Since you were injured on the job, we will take care of everything.  For now, why don’t you rest and we can discuss everything later.

Cheryl knew she needed to calm down, so she could deal with whatever was going on, but focusing on her breathing was the best that she could do.  She was so focused that she didn’t see the woman leave.  She only noticed when Rayleigh returned with a syringe in hand.  Her panic instantly threw her into fight or flight mode, and she was on her feet.  She didn’t get far as her body betrayed her and she started to fall. The man caught her before she could hit the floor.  Cheryl didn’t notice the look they exchanged, but the man didn’t let her go.  Instead he gripped her arms to her side as the woman took advantage of the moment to inject her.

Cheryl’s eyes widened and her panic set in full force.  Once the injection was complete, the man loosened his hold and they both helped her back into the bed.  By the time she was lying down, her head had started to spin in a completely different way.  She felt drunk and she could barely keep her eyes opened.  She did notice the woman’s sympathetic gaze, but she barely heard her speak.  “I apologize for that, but we need to keep you still until we can figure out how to help you.  Don’t worry.  We will do everything we can to get you back on your feet quickly.”  That was the last thing Cheryl heard before she was consumed by darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

## Chapter 2

It took Charle nearly half an hour to calm down enough for the nurse that had been helping her to talk to her clearly.  The doctor had asked the younger woman to leave for the moment and Charle couldn’t say she was sorry.  She felt a little guilty, but the girl’s presence made her uncomfortable.  She realized the woman who was supposed to be her sister had a valid reason for the way she felt, but she couldn’t bring herself to worry about more than her own odd circumstances. 

Once she calmed a little the nurse gave her something to help with the pain in her head.  It also helped to calm her some, but it had a side effect of making her sleepy as well.  It wasn’t long until she let go and drifted into sleep.

* * *

 

Cheryl woke with a start.  Her mind was instantly filled with the strange circumstances that led to her being jabbed with a needle.  She shuddered at the memory, but it didn’t last long.  As she stood, she realized that she was surrounded by walls of light green that seemed to be moving.  She took a few steps towards one of them, but her attention was grabbed when she heard a groan.  She whipped around to find another woman lying on the floor.  She didn’t get a chance to go help her before the woman sat up.  When she caught sight of the woman’s face, she found she couldn’t have moved if she had to.  It was like looking in a slightly twisted mirror.

When the woman finally caught sight of her, her eyes widened as well.  Suddenly Cheryl had a realization.  She moved to help the woman to her feet, but as soon as she was standing, Cheryl asked her question.  “Are you Charle Valliere?”

The other woman widened her eyes further at the question, but she could see understanding spark as well.  Her suspicion was confirmed when the woman spoke.  “Y-yes.  Are you Cheryl Villagran?”

Cheryl felt her brows draw down, but she tried to keep from scowling.  “Yes.  Do you know what is going on?”

The woman gave her a shake of her head but neither of them were able to say anything else as two voices speaking together drew both of their attention.  “We are glad you were able to make it.”

Both women turned to the sound of the voices and were shocked at the sight of two beings that looked like women.  One was tall and blonde wearing full armor and armed to the teeth with larger than life weapons.  The other was just as large, but she was wearing a diaphanous dress that flowed in a nonexistent wind.  Her long green hair trailed down and nearly covered her body.

Cheryl gasped as she recognized the one in armor.  At her realization she had a sneaking suspicion who the other woman was as well, but she didn’t ask.  She hoped they were about to find out what was going on.  They didn’t have to wait long before the two goddesses spoke again.  “We had planned to bring you here first, but unfortunately we were unable to.  We see you have both already figured out that you have switched places.  We are sure you have many questions, but our time here is limited.  Let us explain and if there is time, we will answer as much as possible.”

Cheryl wanted to speak up, and she could feel the woman beside her tense as well, but neither of them got the chance to speak before the goddesses spoke again.  “Although one of you is from Earth and the other from Gaia, you are connected.  Both those names are only a small part of a large whole.  There are many more planets that occupy the same place in space.  Some are similar like yours, others are so different you would never recognize them.  It makes no difference, as they are all part of the whole.  There are a few souls that are also part of a bigger whole.  Both of you are only part of a soul that spans the entirety of the universes.  For that reason, you were allowed a glimpse into each other’s lives.  You have both believed for most of your lives that you were born into the wrong life.  You may be right, or you may not, but you now both have the chance to test that theory.  You will be given one year.  At the end of that year, you will be asked if you think the changes are for good or ill.  You both must agree, or your lives will revert.”

Neither woman could find words for several moments.  They both thought they might have been dreaming, if it weren’t for the fact that they had both already experienced the change first hand.  It still seemed unreal.  Cheryl was the first to find her voice since the fact that she knew some of the history of the world she had been placed in.  She wondered if it was the same for the other woman as well.  “While I won’t deny that I felt I was born in the wrong place, I never thought I would be sent to Gaia.  Is what I know true?  If that’s the case, how did Square find out about their lives in the first place?  This… this is hard to swallow.”

At her question the goddess that Cheryl had dubbed Gaea stepped forward.  She tried not to flinch when the large female placed a hand on her head.  “Child, surely you must have thought that certain stories you have seen ring some sort of recognition in your heart.  As a partial soul, you have the ability to see when one of the other universes bleeds through into your own.  It is not uncommon for the lives in one to seep into the minds in another.  While your own story is not known on Gaia, there are others that would be familiar with you.  We cannot say if your presence will change the tales you know or not.  Your future is not set.”

Charle had been paying close attention to the woman that had her face and the way she interacted with the beings she could only dub as deities.  It almost seemed as if the woman was familiar with them both, but what really threw her for a loop was the fact that, if she understood their conversation correctly, that her life was already known to them.  She couldn’t keep quiet at the thought.  “Are you all saying you know how my life is supposed to play out?  That makes this whole thing seem even stranger!”

Cheryl looked at Charle with a conflicted look, but it was her that spoke.  “I never saw anyone in those stories that looked even close to me, so no.  I just know what could possibly happen with some of the ones that you must work for… or I guess that I work for now.”  At her own words, her eyes widened further.  “Oh god!  Does that mean I work for Genesis now?”

Charle couldn’t understand the note of fear in the other woman’s voice.  She knew Commander Rhapsodos had a reputation for a temper, and even though some of the previous secretaries had noted that fact as the reason they left, he had shown her nothing but kindness.  None of what she heard would account for the look of panic on the other woman’s face.  “Commander Rhapsodos isn’t as bad as some people make him out to be.  As long as you don’t mess up, he is a gentleman.”

Cheryl snorted.  “I’m sure he is.  I’m not worried about how he is now anyway.  He’s still with Shinra, so the bad stuff must not have happened yet.”

Charle was even more confused than she had been.  Her next question was cut short when the goddess in armor joined them.  “Your time here draws to an end.  Do you both understand the chance you have been given?”

Charle felt like she was still floundering, but the other woman nodded her head, even if it seemed reluctantly.  The goddesses both started to draw away, but she spoke before they could be dismissed.  “What am I supposed to do?  I understand why you have given us this chance, but I have no idea how I am to proceed!”

At her words, the goddess in armor gave her a soft look.  “Child, follow your heart.  If you choose to move forward, you have the opportunity to find all you have wanted.  It is your life, at least for the next year.  Choose to live it well.”

That didn’t nearly work to answer her question, but it looked like it was the only answer she was going to get.  The walls of the room they were in started to move and fade into greenish wisps.  The goddesses were fading away with them, as was the woman next to her.  She still had so many questions to ask.  Her attention was drawn back to the woman next to her as she called out.  “Tell my sister I love her!”  That was the last thing she heard before she was pulled into the blackness.

* * *

 

Charle woke and sat straight up.  It took her a few moments to clear her head and look around.  She almost felt like crying when she recognized the room as the one she had been in before she fell asleep.  It hadn’t been a dream after all.  Everything that had just happened flooded her brain as well.  She realized that if she could be here, then it was likely that wasn’t a dream either.  She managed to hold down her panic, but just barely.  As she started to stand, she remembered the last words of the other woman that had her face and felt her heart clench a little.  Even if the woman had felt that she was also born into the wrong world, it was clear she cared for the girl that had been here earlier.

She wasn’t sure how to feel about it all.  If the goddesses had not been lying, then she had a year in this world, where she would have a family, even if it was just a sister.  The thought of that had her feeling conflicted.  A family was one of the things she had always wished for as an orphan in the slums, but could she really manage to find a place with a family she didn’t know?

Her thinking was interrupted when the nurse from before poked her head into the door.  “You’re up!  Well, you didn’t sleep long, but since you’re awake, we have a gentleman in the waiting room that would like to see you.  Visitors are allowed, but with… well, I thought I’d ask you if you want to see him first.  You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Charle took a few moments to think about it.  If she was going to live this life, if she had any chance of truly deciding which life was best for her, then she couldn’t keep hiding from it.  She nodded to herself before she turned to the nurse.  “I can’t say that I will know him, but I will see him.  Does he know that already?”

The other woman gave her a sympathetic look.  “We will warn him before he comes in.  I’ll give you a few minutes to freshen up if you’d like.  There is a bathroom behind that door.”

Charle gave her a thankful nod.  Once the nurse was gone, she did go to at least splash some water on her face.  She could feel the tightness in her cheeks from her earlier tears.  It wasn’t until after she dried her face that she faced the mirror and froze.  The face that was looking back at her was that of the woman she had met in her dreams.  It was at that point that it all became real for her.  She really had swapped places with the other woman.  The realization had her knees weakening, but she quickly pushed away the feeling.  Her decision had already been made and she didn’t plan on going back on it.

She quickly ran her hands through her hair to help with the tangles from sleeping.  She winced when she brushed against the knot on her head, but it didn’t take her long to finish.  She looked over her face once again.  It was eerie that it was both familiar and not, but she shook the thought off.  She was going to have to get used to it. 

Once she felt she was presentable, she walked back and sat on the edge of the bed.  She only had to wait for a couple of minutes before the nurse led in a man that was just slightly shorter than the doctor had been.  He was still tall, and she was surprised by how handsome he was.  She immediately felt her cheeks heat as she wondered what their relationship was that he would want to see her in the hospital.

She didn’t have to wonder for long.  As soon as the man laid eyes on her, he was by her side and wrapping her in a hug that was just short of crushing.  She was so shocked she didn’t know what to do at first.  Finally, the man moved back just far enough to press a kiss to her forehead.  Her eyes were so wide at his action that she was sure they couldn’t get any larger.  She almost pushed him away, but he noticed her look and stepped back. 

She felt sorry for him.  She could see the anguish in his eyes when he finally spoke.  “I came as soon as I heard.  Brianna didn’t let me know, I had to find out when I went by your office and they said you had been hospitalized.”  He looked like he wanted to hug her again, but she leaned back, and he got the point, even if his eyes filled further with pain.  She hadn’t been as prepared for this as she thought she would be.

She finally found her voice.  “I thought… did they not tell you that I don’t remember anything?”

Her words seemed to crush the last of his hope and she was shocked to see a slight shimmering of tears in his eyes.  “They did, but I had hoped that you would at least remember me.  We were supposed to be married.”

Her breath froze at his words.  They were the last thing she had expected to hear.  She could feel a slight panic building, but they were interrupted before it ran away with her.  “You are _not_ her fiancé.  You don’t get to come back and sweep in when she is vulnerable!  Don’t forget that you were the one that left her!  You shouldn’t even be here, jerk!”

Charle was even more confused than she had been.  She was beginning to wonder if she had been thrown into the wrong world.  Luckily the nurse had followed the woman that was her sister.  She gave both visitors a glare.  “I will not tolerate this kind of behavior.  If Ms. Villagran is going to recover, stress is the last thing she needs.  You can leave now.”

Charle was thankful for the woman’s intervention, but she suddenly remembered her counterpart’s words again and called out before the nurse forced both people to leave.  “Wait!”  They all turned to her and both the man that claimed to be her fiancé and the woman that claimed to be her sister gave her hopeful looks.  She had to look away from them as she spoke to the nurse.  “Would it be alright if my… my sister stayed for a few minutes at least?”

They all gave her shocked looks and she could hear the younger woman start to cry again.  She continued to ignore it as the nurse gave her a questioning look.  “Are you sure?  Visiting hours don’t end for another hour, but I want you to rest.  Can you?”

Charle dared to glance at the crying woman and her heart twisted.  She finally gave the nurse a nod.  “I may not remember everything, but I think it might help if we speak.  Is that okay?”

The nurse gave her a smile and a nod.  “I’ll let you know when visiting hours are over.”

The man gave her a complicated look as he allowed the nurse to lead him out, but he didn’t say anything.  Once they were gone, Charle looked at the younger woman and realized that she shouldn’t have been so shocked that they were supposed to be related.  There was a very obvious likeness between them.  The girl hadn’t said anything, but she was giving her a hopeful look.  Charle knew this whole thing had to be hard on her.  She finally patted the bed next to her.  “Would you please tell me about our life?  Maybe it will help.”  She knew it wouldn’t bring back memories, as they were never hers to begin with, but it was a good place to start getting to know her new life.  She almost started crying as well when the girl gave her a bright smile and launched into tales of how they grew up together.

* * *

 

When Cheryl woke, she found that she had been strapped down to the bed.  The thought made her panic slightly, especially as she now knew she really was on Gaia, but it didn’t last long.  She had barely opened her eyes before the woman, Rayleigh, made her way into the room.  “You’re awake!  How do you feel?”

She really tried to keep her voice even as she responded, but she knew it came out harsher than she meant to due to her predicament.  “I would feel much better if I weren’t strapped down.”

Rayleigh had the grace to look slightly abashed.  “I apologize for that.  We only wanted to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself.  You did try to run earlier, and you are in no shape for that.  I know this must all be confusing, but we only want to help.”

Cheryl tried to stay calm.  “I can understand that.  If I promise not to try to leave the room for now, could we please get me out of these?”

Rayleigh looked her in the eye for several moments before she finally nodded.  “It looks like you are much calmer now.  Do you remember anything?”

Thankfully the woman didn’t wait for an answer before she started undoing the straps.  The action served to allow Cheryl to finally calm.  Once she was seated, she gave the other woman a shake of her head.  “No, but I realize I’m going to need help.  I apologize for panicking earlier.  This is all weird for me.”  She gestured at the room around her, but the woman realized she meant the whole circumstances.

“I understand.  Memory loss can be traumatic for those that have to deal with it.”  Rayleigh paused at that point and gave her a helpless look.  “Normally I would ask if there was anyone that could come and help you, but in these circumstances that isn’t possible.”

Her words made Cheryl think of something.  “Do I not have any family listed in my paperwork?”

For a split second she thought she saw a pained look in Rayleigh’s eyes, but the woman covered it quickly.  Her words were still careful, like she didn’t want to cause more alarm.  “We did check your records, but there is no history.  The few records we do have said you were an orphan.  I don’t know if you put that in on purpose or if you don’t have a family, but we cannot find anyone until you remember.”

Cheryl wasn’t sure how to feel about that.  Her own sister was the only family she claimed, but not having any family at all was something she had never expected.  She realized she had no one to go home with, or to help her start over and she felt panic start to creep in again.  She managed to control it well enough that it didn’t seep into her voice.  “What does that mean for me?  Where will I go?”

Rayleigh must have been relieved at her response as she finally smiled again.  “That is something you won’t have to worry about.  You can stay here for now, until you feel up to going back to your own apartment.  The Firsts don’t expect you back to work right away.”

At that reminder, Cheryl wondered how she would handle meeting them all for the first time.  If her counterpart had been working with them for some time now, then she knew her persona was already established, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t say something stupid.  She would have to watch herself.  It also brought up another thought.  “I am their secretary?  That is what you said before, right?”

Rayleigh gave her a nod.  “Yes, and that job is still yours.  Commander Rhapsodos did express his desire for you to return quickly, but for now, you should focus on getting better.”

She wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or not, but it did cause her to have another question.  “If… if I can’t get my memories back, will I still have a job?”  The last thing she wanted to face was a life in the slums because she couldn’t keep her job.  The thought of facing the three that were supposed to destroy the world was a distant second to her fear of that thought.

Luckily, Rayleigh knew just what to say.  “As long as you are in good condition, I don’t see any reason why you can’t go back to your position.  You are fairly new, so if you have to relearn a few things it won’t be that bad.”

She felt slightly relieved at those words.  They also reminded her that she had just started back home as well.  Maybe that meant that her counterpart would be able to go back to work too.  Not that she wouldn’t have support if she couldn’t.  She didn’t see Brianna letting her starve if she did lose the secretary position.  It helped that they were in the city too.  She should have plenty of opportunities.

She was drawn back to the moment when Rayleigh moved back toward the door.  “Don’t worry about any of that for now.  You can try to remember things, but don’t strain yourself.  For now, rest.  Before you know it, you’ll be back on your feet.”  She still had a mind full of everything, but she managed to give the young doctor a nod as she closed the door.


	3. Chapter 3

## Chapter 3

It had been two days since ‘the switch’ happened.  Cheryl had taken to calling it that after she finally wrapped her head around the fact that it wasn’t all a bad dream.  Now that she had gotten used to the idea, she realized she was going to go stir crazy if she didn’t get out of the hospital ward.  She resolved to talk to Rayleigh as soon as the woman came in.

Luckily, she didn’t have long to wait.  The young doctor was in for her morning rounds about thirty minutes later.  She gave Cheryl a smile when she saw she was up and walking around.  “You’re up!  How do you feel?”

Cheryl smiled back.  She was grateful for the positive attitude the young doctor kept up.  It made things easier at the beginning.  “Doing well enough that I think I might go crazy if I can’t at least try to get back to my normal life.”

Rayleigh’s smile faltered a little.  “Do you remember anything?”

Cheryl frowned as she shook her head.  “No, but my head no longer hurts.  I don’t see any reason why I can’t at least try.  Staying here longer won’t do anything more for me.”

Rayleigh hummed to herself while she pointed at the bed.  “Have a seat.  Let me make sure I don’t see anything.  If it all checks out okay, I will get your release papers.”

Cheryl nodded as she took a seat.  The exam was basic; mostly checking her eye dilation and other reflexes.  Once she was done, Rayleigh stepped back and nodded.  “Everything looks good.  You’re welcome to stay for a little longer of course, but if you feel up to getting back to things, I see no reason to stop you.  Your clothes should be in a bag under the bed.  I’ll be back shortly with all of your paperwork.”

Cheryl gave her a nod as she walked out.  Once the doctor closed the door, she immediately looked for her clothes and didn’t waste any time in getting dressed.  She took a last look around to make sure she wasn’t forgetting anything.  It wasn’t that she had anything else, but it was habit.  Once she was satisfied, she took a seat on the edge of the bed to wait.  It wasn’t long until Rayleigh returned with a Soldier in tow.  Cheryl raised a brow at the unknown man, but the doctor ignored her unspoken question and instead held out a clipboard.

“This is just an acknowledgement of what was done while you were here as well as the fact that you are aware of your options.  There is also a form in there for you to sign stating you understand that due to the nature of your injury, Shinra will be covering your stay.”

Cheryl barely skimmed it before she started to sign.  She paused after the first letter and sighed.  No matter what, she would need to remember that her name in this world was Charle.  It was going to take some getting used to.  She quickly finished signing her new name and handed the board back.

With the clipboard back in hand, Rayleigh nodded to the Soldier.  “This is Soldier Second Class Atlag.  He has been assigned to show you back to your apartment and then back to the building once you are ready to return this afternoon.  Since you are checking out, the Firsts will expect you in the office by 13:00.

Cheryl took a deep breath at the news that she was going to be expected to head straight back to work.  She only nodded though.  It would probably be best anyway.  Sitting in a strange apartment and doing nothing wouldn’t be any better than sitting at the hospital.  “Thank you.  I appreciate all your help.”

  Rayleigh smiled and shook her hand.  “It’s my job.  If you have any dizzy spells or headaches, please don’t hesitate to come see me.”

Cheryl gave her another nod and thanks as she followed the stoic Soldier out of the wing and to the elevators.  Once they were on their way down, the man spoke for the first time.  “Your keys and ID were kept in the office while you were hospitalized.  I was asked to return them.”  He then held something out to her. 

She took them with a raised brow.  “Thank you.  Do you have the directions?  I still don’t remember anything.”

He nodded and looked forward again before he spoke.  “Yes, I have been given the address.  Since you are a Shinra employee, I was told that you recently moved into the apartments in Sector 5.  It is not far from Sector 0.  We should be able to walk there in twenty minutes.”

Cheryl wasn’t sure if he was taking his job that seriously, or if he was the shy type, but either way, she could tell he wasn’t interested in conversation.  She didn’t push further as they made their way out.  Luckily, it was a short walk, just like he said.  She was thankful that there weren’t many twists either.  It would be simple enough to make her way back and forth.

When they got to her apartment, she stood nervously outside the door for a few moments.  She had no idea what to expect and the though brought on a strange feeling.  This would be her home for at least the next year, and yet it wasn’t.  She shivered before she finally opened the door.

She stopped just a few steps into the room.  It was spartan.  The area was completely open and there was just one door.  The room was divided in half by different flooring to indicate which part was the kitchen and which was the living room, but there was very little there.  A loveseat and a small coffee table were the only things in the room.  She remembered that Charle had only recently moved in, but it looked like she was still trying to furnish the place.  She finally moved to open the door to the back room and found a small bed with a generic armoire against the far wall and another door that she presumed went to the bathroom.  The place was small to say the least, but it was mostly bare. 

Cheryl suddenly remembered that she didn’t have all day to look around.  She poked her head back through the door and tried to smile.  “Would you mind if I freshen up before we head back?  I won’t take long.”

He gave her a nod before he moved to stand next to the door.  She eyed his stiff posture for a moment before she shrugged and went to look through the rest of ‘her’ things.  When she started going through the clothes, she was pleased to find that at least her counterpart dressed conservatively.  There was a time and place to dress up but having a decent selection of things to wear to work was a plus.

She didn’t take long to pick something out and lay it across the bed while she took a quick shower.  She grimaced at the horrible water pressure, but at least she was clean.  She worked as fast as she could to dry her hair and get dressed.

When she headed back out, she raised a brow at the fact that the Soldier was still in the same spot.  When she emerged, he took a step forward.  “Are you ready to return?”

“Sure.”  She managed to keep from shaking her head at his stiff attitude.  Hopefully it wasn’t because of something ‘she’ had done before.

When they made it back to the Soldier floor, he pointed her to the General’s office and headed to do whatever else he was assigned.  It wasn’t until she was right outside the door that it struck her who she was about to be meeting.  The thought that _the_ Sephiroth was on the other side had her hands sweating.  It wasn’t like she didn’t know that he hadn’t always been a homicidal maniac, but still, she had to force herself to stop trembling before she could even properly grasp the doorknob.  ‘He’s not insane, he’s not insane, he’s not insane.’  She repeated the mantra in her head several times as she found the courage to knock.

When a smooth baritone answered she felt her knees weaken again but it only took her a moment to get them under control and open the door.  When she stepped in, the man behind the desk gave her a small smile and stood.  “Miss Valliere, I was told you would be coming back this afternoon.  How do you feel?”

For several seconds Cheryl found that she couldn’t speak.  She had known to expect most of the males around her to be attractive.  Unfortunately, she was finding that even though the images she could remember were stunning, they didn’t come close to doing this man justice.  He was so beautiful she swore she could see him glowing.  That spell was broken when he spoke again.  “Miss Valliere, is there something wrong?”

She shook her head and nearly grimaced as she noted the window behind the man was what gave him the ethereal look.  She nearly laughed at herself but held it in and responded.  “No sir, I apologize.  In answer to your question, I feel fine.  I am not certain if you received the report that I still don’t remember anything though.  I will promise that it will not be an issue for me to relearn everything quickly if you are willing to allow it.”

He smiled that small smile again and gestured to the seat in front of his desk.  “You don’t need to worry about being fired for that.  Why don’t you have a seat and we can discuss what needs to be done.”

She obliged and they quickly got into a conversation about what her duties would be and the best way for her to regain that knowledge quickly.  They hadn’t quite gone over everything when there was another knock.  Cheryl stood when she saw it was Genesis.  He hadn’t come back to visit her after that first time, so she hadn’t really gotten a good look at him.  Now that he was in better lighting and not trying to pin her down, she could see that Sephiroth wasn’t the only one that had been underestimated.  Genesis had always been her favorite character and seeing him like this had the breath caught in her throat.

When he caught sight of her, he gave her a charming smile that nearly made her fall over before he spoke.  “Ah, Miss Valliere, it’s good to see you back.  I had heard that you would be returning today.  It’s a good thing too, as the paperwork around here has suffered greatly with your absence.”

Cheryl suddenly felt her palms start sweating again.  Did he not know that she still didn’t know anything?  If he expected her to jump right back in, then there could be problems.  Fortunately, she didn’t have to ask as Sephiroth spoke up.  “Genesis, she is back, but her memories have not returned.  While I am certain it won’t take her long to reintroduce herself to our processes; it will not happen overnight.”

Genesis waved the statement away and gave her another smile.  “I had already heard as much from Professor Rayleigh.  I’m not concerned.  It only took her two weeks to learn most of it before.  I doubt it will take more than that now.”

Cheryl wasn’t quite sure what to make of his statements.  It was obvious that he held her in some esteem if he was willing to talk up her abilities like he had.  She had to fight a blush as she wondered what her counterpart had done to garner his positive attitude.  Although, she had to admit she didn’t really know much about him before he started to degrade, so maybe this was how he actually was with everyone.  The thought didn’t seem right though.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Sephiroth spoke up again.  “Is your problem urgent?  If not, I need to make arrangements to have Miss Valliere settled into her office and familiarized with her duties.”

Cheryl was shocked when Genesis’ smile widened, and he held out a folder she hadn’t seen before.  “This was why I am here.  Why don’t you read through it and we can discuss it once I have finished showing Miss Valliere around.”

Sephiroth gave the man a curious look, but he didn’t say anything as he took the folder.  Instead he looked to Cheryl again.  “I won’t expect you to be up to par for a few weeks at least, so don’t stress about things you can’t remember.  I only ask that you do your best.”

She nodded to him before she turned to Genesis.  She hoped her voice wasn’t shaking too much.  “Thank you for showing me around Commander.”

He opened the door with a smirk and waved her through.  “It is my pleasure.  I am happy to see you back.”

Cheryl wasn’t sure what to make of him, but his oddity was the least of her worries unless he started showing signs of being weird.  For now, she was content to let him give her the tour before showing her to the office she would be using.  At least by the time they made it there, she was calmer.

* * *

 

The hospital had allowed Charle to go home after another day with the advice that she was to not stress.  If her memories were to return, they would do it in their own time.  She felt slightly bad at their instructions, because she knew they would never come back, since she never had them, but she nodded anyway.

Brianna, her ‘sister’, had taken her home to their tiny two-bedroom apartment.  She was shocked that they lived together, but the younger girl seemed accustomed to it.  The talk they had while she was still in the hospital had been a good one, but Charle had noticed the girl covered very little after her counterpart was sixteen.  She had a sinking feeling that all was not well, but she hadn’t pushed.  It was now her third day on Earth, and she was getting a little bored.  She had already received notice that even though she had just started, they would hold her position for six weeks.  After that, the job would be reposted.  It hadn’t taken her long to decide to go back to work, or at least see if they would let her without ‘her’ memories.

When she told Brianna about her decision, the girl looked uncertain and started to object.  Charle wasn’t sure what the problem was, but she knew she couldn’t stay in the dark if they had issues.  She took the girl gently by the arm and led her to the sofa.  When they sat down, she gave the girl a hard look.  “I don’t know what it is, but I know you are keeping things from me.  Why do you not want me to go back to work?”

Brianna started to deny the accusation, but Charle gave her another stern look and the girl shook her head with a grimace.  “You could always tell when I was lying.  I guess some things never change.”

Charle nearly smiled.  She guessed that she and her counterpart had more in common than she originally thought.  The thought was a brief one though as the girl started speaking again.  “I was hoping that now that you have the chance for a new start, that you might just go ahead and go to school like you’ve wanted to.  I know things would be tight for us, but you have put off your life for so long now.” 

Brianna turned but Charle could still see the tears in her eyes as she continued.  “You’ve taken care of everyone but yourself.  I… I know this might sound bad, but I was thinking that this might be a blessing in disguise.  You would have the chance to just think about yourself for once.”

Charle was stunned by what the girl said.  None of what she had been told thus far had shown any indication of what the girl was saying.  She really didn’t have any way to verify it yet either, but she had a feeling this explanation was just the start.  Her gaze softened as she tried to help the girl understand.  “I appreciate that you care enough to want that for me, but I am an adult and I need to make decisions for myself.  I can’t do that well if I don’t have all the information.  Can you fill me in on what you were talking about?  You didn’t say any of this the other day.”

Brianna was still grimacing when she wiped her eyes and gave a nod.  “I’m not sure what to tell you exactly.  Honestly, I didn’t tell you everything, because… well, I was hoping that you wouldn’t have to remember all the bad stuff.  I was afraid that if I told you then it would be the catalyst for you to remember.”

Charle found that she was amazed at how much the younger woman seemed to care.  She gave her a smile in an attempt to ease her worry.  “I understand what you mean, but I need to know.  Would you please tell me?”

The girl nodded again.  “It would take forever to tell you everything, but I can try to condense it.  I can always add details if you want to know them.”

Charle gave her a nod and the girl sighed before she began.  “It started when you were fifteen.  I was only 8, so I don’t remember it all as well.  You never liked to talk about it much, so I don’t have a lot until I was older.”

Charle nodded that she understood, and Brianna sighed again before she continued.  “Dad left us when you were fifteen.  I guess mom took it really hard and it wasn’t long until she got sick.  You used to tell me that it was her broken heart, but the doctors said it was chronic fatigue and stress.  She ended up having a heart attack, but she was mostly bedridden for several years before it happened.”

“You got a job as soon as you could, but mom refused to let you quit school.  Even so, when you graduated you took a second job to make sure we had everything we needed.  When mom died, you still had me to take care of.  You were able to drop the part time job at least.  That was when you met doofus.  He stuck around for nearly a year before he asked you to marry him.”

At that point, Charle decided to interrupt.  “Doofus?  Was that the man that said we were engaged?”

Brianna had to cover her mouth to stifle her laugh, but it didn’t help much.  She finally removed her hand and her laughter was still in her voice.  “His name is Lance McGill.  I never liked him, and he proved me right.”

Charle gave her a curious look.  “You said he left me?  But he was the one that asked me to marry him?  What happened?”

Brianna glared at her but sighed and started talking again.  “Of course, you would want to know about him too.  Well, I can tell you he isn’t worth it.”

Charle gave her another stern look and the girl shrugged while rolling her eyes. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

When Charle gestured her impatience, the girl sighed and finally continued.  “You guys were engaged for about six months.  He knew you weren’t Christian when you got together, but for some reason, after you guys got engaged, he started pressuring you to convert for him.  When you refused to, he gave you an ultimatum.  He said you could go to church with him, or you weren’t meant to be together.  You were so pissed.  I can still remember your voice when you told him that love didn’t work that way and told him to find someone he wanted, instead of trying to change you to fit his mold.”

Charle sat back in shock.  That had been the last thing she had expected to hear.  She had no idea what a Christian was, but it was obviously important.  She figured it was something she could research on her own.  Just getting the girl to tell her that much was a trial.  She didn’t want to push her luck.  She put her hand on the girl’s arm.  “Thank you for telling me that much.  That isn’t the end though, is it?”

Brianna surprised her when she grabbed her into a strangling hold.  It was several minutes before the girl let go and she gave her a nod.  Charle noted there were tears in her eyes again though.

“When he left you, you were pretty tore up.  It didn’t take you long to decide that change was what you needed.  You talked to me and we agreed to sell the house.  Luckily, it didn’t take much to put it up and we sold it fast.  We split the money and you decided to move here.  It’s only two hours from where we were, but there are so many people here that you are just one of many.  You don’t have to worry about the gossip and other bullshit that comes with living in a small town.”

Brianna took her hand and gave it a squeeze before she continued.  “Honestly, I thought that you were finally moving on.  You got the job as a secretary, but you were saving to start night classes.  You told me you always wanted to run a business and you planned on going after it, even if it took you years.”

The girl’s face became a disgusted grimace at that.  “It was about a month ago that doofus started showing up at your job.  I have no idea how he found out where you worked, but you were livid.  You had security make him leave, but he’s persistent.  I hope that you don’t have to keep dealing with him anymore.  A new slate and all that.”

Charle squeezed the girl’s hand back before she stood.  “Thank you.  You’ve given me a lot to think about.  I’ll let you know tonight if I decide to go back to work.  I’ll take your suggestions into consideration.”

Brianna looked like she wanted to cry at that, but Charle was too preoccupied to notice.  She went to the bedroom that the girl had said was hers and shut the door behind her.  She had plenty to think about.


End file.
